2003 Hyundai Tiburon GT 2.7 from North America

Summary:

You sexy beast...

Faults:

Both axles.

AC compressor.

MAF.

Trunk switch.

Door handles.

AC switch.

Steering wheel.

Clutch.

Crank positioning sensor.

Fuel canister charcoal filter.

Emergency brake cable.

Rear caliper.

Wheel hubs.

Upper and lower oil leaks.

Rear main seal.

Rear seat belt.

General Comments:

I love the car. Most of the failures came soon after I bought it. Once I fixed everything myself, it runs great. Now I know almost everything I will likely ever need to know about the car. It looks beautiful for its age... well, regardless, it is nice looking. Slightly lowered, 18 inch wheels, modest front lip kit, tint, custom headlights and tails. An ultra clean black Tuscani.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 19th June, 2019

19th Jun 2019, 15:21

Hardly ever see these on the road, compared to other vehicles from that era. Wonder why...?

In reply to 19th Jun 2019, 15:21

23rd Jun 2019, 17:03

For sure maintenance is required. And at the price point, most subsequent owners don’t plan on this car being a keeper. Looking at for sale sites... this car is dirt cheap because maintenance wasn’t done on it. You’ll notice many listed already in bad shape. However, if one part on the car was doomed to fail... it's the clutch. All else is pretty reliable. Unfortunately, the clutch is expensive so that puts this car right at the bottom for maintenance. Plan on owning one? Yes, you should be good with a wrench or committed to regular maintenance, including all that the previous owner didn’t do.

2003 Hyundai Tiburon 2.0L from North America

Summary:

A huge money sucker

Faults:

Brakes, e-brake, both serpentine belts twice each.

Alternator, rack, sunroof, speed sensor, everything electrical shut down when I was driving tonight

General Comments:

It sucks.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 14th March, 2015

16th Mar 2015, 04:25

Judging by the age and mileage, I'm guessing you also didn't pay very much for this vehicle in the first place.

11th Aug 2015, 02:39

Is that miles right? A 190000 miles car is good for the scrap yard, even if you get it for free.

2003 Hyundai Tiburon GT 2.7 V6 from North America

Summary:

The worst investment I've ever made in my life

Faults:

Cracked wheel bearing 3 times!

E-brake cable 2 times!

All brake lines.

Rear rotors.

Rear calipers.

Rear pads.

Alternator.

Clutch 2 times (39000KM and 90000KM)!

Flywheel 2 times (39000KM and 90000KM)!

Tie rods twice each front.

General Comments:

When everything is running well with the Tiburon, it is a genuinely nice chick's car. Unfortunately when I bought the Tiburon, I knew jack about cars, and thought it looked cool and it had a V6, so it was fast! Well it's not fast; basically anything with a 2.5L 4-banger will eat the Tiburon for breakfast. The handling is very nice, although there is a bit of understeer, a tiny bit of torque steer, and it is very nose heavy thanks to the V6. It is awesome in snow though, with good snow tires.

The cabin is a nice place to be, for the driver; at 5'10", I fit just right. If you're 6 foot, your hair would be touching the sunroof. The driver's seat is nicely bolstered, and I've always found it comfortable to drive. The 5 speed stick is buttery smooth, although the OEM clutch uptake is really, really late in the pedal travel.

That's all the nice things to say. Everything else about this car is garbage. The OEM clutch is a piece of garbage, and the sooner you can pull it out and put in an aftermarket clutch, the better.

My repair list might make me seem like a boy racer, but I'm honestly not. The OEM clutch just destroys itself, just take a look at any automotive forum about the Tib. Everything under the car pretty much rusts to pieces if you live in an area where they salt the road. Stuff that should just work (E-brake, calipers, wheel bearings) will just fail on you. Door panels, fuel cap, trunk keyhole all rust to pieces. If you hit a decent size pothole, you'll probably crack a wheel bearing.

I was planning on trying to get 200,000KMs out of this car (got more than that with my Accent with about 1/10th the problems), but I doubt it will happen. I will never buy another Hyundai, and I recommend you don't either.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 19th March, 2013

24th May 2013, 15:33

These are repairs that someone does when their car has had a tough life. It's not the car - it's the driver.

In reply to 24th May 2013, 15:33

26th Mar 2015, 02:36

This car is not suitable for some areas with its stiff suspension and low profile tires. I know because I drove one to work every morning in a northeastern hell hole, where heavy flooding and potholes were frequent obstacles in the streets. It would be all right if the Tiburon compensated for its sporty suspension with performance, light weight and fuel efficiency, but it doesn't. As far as a reliable and affordable car, or a cool fast car, you are better off with anything other than this.

In reply to 24th May 2013, 15:33

26th Mar 2015, 02:48

Anyone who has owned one of these for long enough, knows that Hyundai incorporated a dampening dual mass fly wheel and a spring loaded check valve in the clutch slave cylinder. This was meant to soften up clutch engagement, but caused premature clutch failure in cases where drivers wanted to "accelerate" faster than a Volkswagen bus.